Threshing-machine.



Tm. 796,567. Y PATBNTBD. AUG. 8, 1905.

- M. DAVIS & w. A. LBHENBAUER.

THRESH'ING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 001 10, 1904. Y

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No. 796,567. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. M. DAVIS & W. A. LEHBNBAUER.

THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 10,1904.

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THRESHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10,1904.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MONROE DAVIS AND WESLEY A. LEHENBAUER, OF AMES, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

THRESHlNG-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed October 10, 1904. Serial No. 227,799.

To all whom, it nwty concern:

Be it known that we, MONROE DAVIS and 'WEsLEY A. LEHENBAUER, citizens of the United States, residing at Ames, in the county of \Voods. in the Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Threshing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Our present in vention relates to an improvement upon the threshing-machine for which Letters Patent of the United States have been granted to us dated May 24, 1904, and June 28, 1904:, and numbered, respectively, 760,967

and 763,731.

One of the objects of the present improvement is to furnish means whereby the grain in the straw may be more thoroughly threshed therefrom as the initial actionin our machine and also whereby the currents of air in the threshing portions may be better controlled.

A further object of the improvement is to furnish means through the medium of which.

provision of details of construction associated with the features mentioned and which will he hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure I is a side elevation of our machine. Fig. II is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken through one of the threshingchambers of our machine with the fans located therein shown in elevation. Fig. III is a vertical cross-section taken on line III III, Fig. II. Fig. IV is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken through one of the vacuurn-chambers and the pipes associated therewith. Fig. V is an enlarged perspective view of the lower end of one of the dischargespouts leading from the chamber shownin Fig." IVQ Fig. VI is a vertical section taken on line VI VI, Fig. V. Fig. VII is an enlarged approximately horizontal section taken on line VII VII, Fig. VIII, through one of the delivery grain-chambers Fig. VIII is an enlarged vertical section taken through one of the delivery grain-chambers. Fig. IX is a horizontal section taken on line IX IX, Fig. VIII. Fig. X is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line X X, Fig. I, through the separator-chamber. Fig. XI is a vertical section taken on line XI XI, Fig. X. Fig. XII is an enlarged view of one of the straw-deflecting prongs in the separator-chamber. Fig. XIII is a cross-section taken on line XIII XIII, Fig. XII. Fig. XIV is an enlarged section taken on line XIV XIV, Fig. X, through a series of the separator-grainoutlet-covering hoods.

A designates the framework of our threshing-machine, which is of suitable structure to serve as support for the various parts of the machine. This framework is portably supported by ground-wheels B.

1 designates the receiving-chambers into which the grain in the straw is first intro duced and from which it passes through a conduit 2 (see Fig. II) into a threshing-chamber 3, having two fan-compartments in communication with each other, as in our Patent No. 763,731, hereinbefore mentioned. In the first of these compartments is a fan 4, car- "ried by a shaft 5, and in the second compartment is a larger fan 6, carried by a shaft 7, that operates within the first-named shaft. These fans are operated in the manner set forth in the patent just mentioned. The fan 4 preferably has its blades set obliquely, as seen in Figs. II and III, so that the grain passingthereto will be caught and directed toward the fan 6, and the fan 6 has its blades set in longitudinal alinement with its axis.

8 is a deflecting and guard plate located at the outer side of the fan 4, occupying a position between the fans 4 and 6. The utility of this plate will be hereinafter set forth.

The threshing-chamber 3 is provided with an outlet-neck 9, to which is connected a conveyer pipe 10, that leads to a separatorchamber 11.

In the description thus far given reference is made only to the parts of our machine at one end thereof whichhave communication with the separator-box; but, as will be seen by referring to Fig. I, the parts are duplicated at the other end of the machine, and as they are alike detailed description of the parts at one end is deemed suflicient.

Within the separator-chamber 11 are partitions 12, that extend from the inlets where the conductingpipes 10 terminate within said chamber, each partition being curved concentrically to the wall of the chamber, so that the straw and grain are caused to partake of a swirling motion when they are delivered into the chamber, which motion is continued until the straw finds egress from the separatorchamber through the straw-outlet 13 into the stacker-tube 14.- These parts are fully illustrated in our Patent No. 760,967, and an understanding of the operation of the delivery and discharge of the straw may be gained from that patent.

15 designates a plurality of deflector-prongs secured at their bases to the bottom of the separator-chamber l1 and pointing upwardly therefrom, as seen in Figs. X to XII, inclusive. These prongs, located both in the main portion and in the separator and the conduits leading therefrom between the wall of the separator-chamber and the partitions 12, serve to direct the swirling straw upwardly as it circulates within the separatorchamber, thereby preventing its settling to the bottom of the chamber to interfere with the freed grain that settles by gravitation to the bottom of the chamber. In the bottom of the separator-chamber is an outlet 16, through which the freed grain finds escape into a drum 17. This outlet is controlled by a series of hoods 18, (see Figs. X, XI, and XIV.) that are of tapering form and are nested together with their. smaller ends telescoping within the larger ends of the succeeding hoods, but out of contact therewith in order that the grain may find ready ingress into and through each hood to reach the outlet 16, the hoods at the same time preventing the downward passage through the outlet 16 of any straw that may descend thoreonto. Interior of the separator-chamber is a funnel 19, that is surrounded by the outlet 16 and the apex of which is open to provide communication between the drum 17 and the separator-chamber. Beneath the funnel within the drum 17 is a cone 20.

21 is a grain-conducting pipe leading downwardly from the drum 17, (see Figs. I and- VII,)Wl11Cl1 terminates at its lower end in a pair of branch legs 22. At the junction of these legs is a valve 22, through the medium of which the flow of grain may be directed at fvill into either one or the other of said branch egs.

I 23 designates delivery grainreceiving chambers with which the pipe branch legs 22 have communication, as seen in Figs. VII and VIII. 24 designates screens stretched across the tops of these grain-receiving chambers. Each recelvlng-chamber 18 formed with a sloping hopper-bottom 25, that terminates in a neck 26, having an outlet 27. Surrounding the neck of each receiving-chamber 23 is a case 28 concentric with said neck and spaced apart therefrom. This case serves as a bagsupport, its lower end being curled outwardly at 29 to provide for the attachment of the bag. At the upper end of each case are a plurality of air-inlets 30, through which air finds ingress to the interior of the case to pass therefrom into the grain-outlet 27 ot' the grain-receiving chamber;

31 designates suction-pipes leading from the threshing-chambers 3 (see Figs. I and II) and in which are seated controlling-valves 32. Each of these pipes leads to an outer vacuumchamber 33, from which extends a dischargespout 34. (See Figs. I and IV to VI, inclusive.)

At the lower or discharge end of the spouts 34 are gates 35, which are positioned between wings 36, projecting from the spouts, the said gates being normally in the closed position. (Illustrated in Figs. V and VI.)

37 designates inner vacuum-chambers that have communication with the outer vacuumchambers 33 through the medium of connecting-pipes 38. These vacuum-chambers 37 also have spouts 34 leading therefrom and provided at their discharge ends with gates 35.

39 designates suction-pipe sections leading from the inner vacuum-chambers 37 to the delivery-grain-receiving chambers 23.

40 designates adjustable gage-tubes that telescope the terminal ends of the suctionpipe sections 39 and extend downwardly into the grain-receiving chambers 23 and terminate in the hopper-necks 26 of said chambers. The lower ends of these gage-tubes bear de- Hector-wings 41, set at angles to the axes of the tubes and occupying positions in said hopper'neck, as seen in Figs. VIII and IX. By adjustably connecting the gage-tubes 40 to the suction-pipes 39 we provide for the raising and'lowering of said tubes to place their lower ends in close proximity to or more remote from the bottoms of the hopper-necks 26, so that the flow of grain passing downwardly 'from the upper portions of the grain-receiving chambers 23 to the outlets 27 at the bottoms of said hopper-necks may be controlled with precision and by associating the deflector-Wings 41 with said gage-tubes cause a swirling motion to be imparted to the grain as it descends around the lower ends of said tubes.

40 (see Fig. VIII) designates hoodsadjust ably fitted to the gage-tube 40 and occupying positions within the grain-receiving chambers 23. These hoods are designed to be raised and lowered with respect to the hopper-bottoms 25 of the chambers 23 to regulate the downflow of the grain to the hopper-necks 26, so that an even stream of grain may be delivered to the hopper-neck and an overcharge of grain therein be avoided.

42 designates gage tubes slidably fitted in the vacuum-chambers 33 and 37. These gagetubes, as shown in Figs. I and IV, are tele-- shown by full and dotted lines, Fig. 1V, to

space them apart more or less, so that heavy particles may fall between them when drawn through the suction-pipes, while lighter material passes across the intervening space between the tubes and continues its course through the suction pipes. The vacuumchambers being of considerably greater dimensions than said gage-tubes, there is con stantly a blast of air created from the suctionpipes through said tubes within the vacuumchambers that results in the air being continually drawn from said chambers to produce partial vacuum therein in order that the heavy particles of material will leave the gage-tubes and fall into the vacuum-chambers and descend therefrom into the spouts 34, from which they are delivered by the influence of their weight-upon the gates 35 when the quantity of material in said spouts becomes suflicient to overcome the tendency of said gates to remain closed.

43 designates a fan-housing that has communication with the drum 17 beneath the separator 11 and in'which is a fan that acts to create a draft through said communication in the same manner as that described in Letters Patent No. 760,967, hereinbefore alluded to. This blast of air passes upwardly through the drum 17 and around the cone 20 therein and is directed by said cone through the funnel 19 at the bottom of the separator 11, thereby creating a jet of air vertically through the center of the separator, which acts to carry the straw.

and chaff in the separator upwardly and from the separator into the stacker-tube 14. At the same time the blast of air from the drum passes upwardly through the grain-outlet 16 and acts to elevate the straw in the separatorchamber.

In the practical use of our machine the grain in the straw is fed into the receiving-chambers 1 and drawn into the threshing-chambers 3 by the fans 4 and 6 operating therein. As the grain passes into the threshing-chambers it is deflected laterally from the axes of the fans 4,

which is first encountered by the deflecting and guard-plate 8, thereby directing said grain into a circular stream as it approaches the fans 6. The blast within the threshing-chamberv tor 11, and as the material enters into said separator and circulates therein the straw passes upwardly over the deflecting-prongs in a swirling manner while the grain descends in the separator, passing partially between said deflector-prongs and reaches the bottom of the separator to pass through the open hoods 18 and the outlet 16 beneath them into the drum 17. At the same time the blast of air forced upwardly through the drum 17 from the fanhousing 43 passes the cone 20 in said drum and enters the separator through the funnel 19 and the grain-outlet 16to discharge the straw and chaff from said separator into the stacker-tube 14. The grain having passed through the drum 17 after leaving the separator-chamber flows downwardly into and through the conducting-pipe 21 and either of the branch legs 22 thereof, according to which one of said branch legs may be in communication with the conducting-pipe, due to the positioning of the valve 22 at the junction of said legs. From the leg 22, into which the grain enters, it passes into the corresponding grain-receiving chamber 23 and flows'downwardly over the hopper-bottom 25 thereof, past the regulating-hood 40, and enters the hopper-neck 26 todischarge therefrom into the bag supported by the case 28, surrounding said hopper-neck.

Throughout the operation of the machine suction of air is constantly occasioned through the suction-pipes 39 and 31, due to the communication of the pipes 31 with the threshing-chamber 3, the degree of suction being controlled by the valves 32 in the pipes 31. Due to this suction air is constantly drawn through the openings in the cases 28, surrounding the hopper-neck of the delivery grain-receiving chambers and this air passing into the spaces between said cases and hoppernecks, which are closed by the bag hanging from the case, is drawn through the outlet 27 of the hopper-neck into the lower open end of the gage-tube to continue a course through the suction-pipes and the intervening vacuumchambers 33 and 37. This passage of air under suction does not interfere with the descent of the valuable grain passing through the outlet of the hopper-neck 26, but it acts to separate the lighter particles in the grain, such as cheat, and carry them-through the suctionpipes. As these light particles travel through the suction-pipes into the vacuum-chambers they traverse the gage-tubes 42, shiftabl y positioned in said chambers. As-the material passes through the inner or first-encountered vacuum-chambers 37 the heavy particles therein fall between the opposing and separated ends of gage-tubes 42 into said vacuumchambers to descend through the corresponding spout 34, While the remainder of the material continues its course into the connectingpipe 38 and enters the second or outer vacuthe base products in the grain, such as cheat, the higher grade of which is separated from refuse in the first vacuum-chambers and the second grade of which is separated in the second vacuum-chambers. The refuse material, such as chaff, is drawn by suction through all of the vacuum-chambers and finally discharges into the threshing-chambers 3 from the suction-pipes 31, to be returned to the separator 11 and pass into the stacker-tube 14.

In connection with the suction-pipes just described and the separating and grading members associated therewith attention is called to the guard and deflector-plate 8, situated between each pair of fans and 6. These plates serve in addition to the function previously mentioned the additional one of guarding the space between the communicating ends of the suction-pipes 31 and the conduits 2, leading from the grain-receiving chambers 1, so that air will be restricted from direct passage from said conduits to said suction-pipes and abetter suction maintained in the suction-pipes as a consequence of such restriction.

We claim as our invention 1. In a threshing-machine, the combination of a threshing-chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a pair of fans arranged side by side in said chamber, means for rotating said fans in opposite directions,and a guard and deflectingplate interposed between said fans, substantially as set forth.

2. In a threshing-machine, the combination of a separator-chamber, means for conducting threshed material to said chamber under airblast, partitions in said chamber concentric with its wall, and deflecting-prongs arranged in said chamber, substantially as set forth.

3. In a threshing-machine, the combination of a separator-chamber, means for conducting threshed material to said chamber under airblast, partitions in said chamber concentric with its wall, and deflector-prongs projecting upwardly from the bottom of said chamber, substantially as set forth.

1. In a threshing machine, the combination of a separator-chamber, means for conducting threshed material to said-chamber under airblast, partitions in said chamber concentric with its wall and subdividing said chamber into compartments, and deflector-prongs in said compartments projecting upwardly from the bottom of the separator-chamber in said compartments, substantially as set forth.

5. In a threshing-machine, the combination of aseparator-chamber provided with a grainoutlet, means for conducting threshed material to said chamber under air-blast, and a plurality of hoods nested together and protecting said outlet, substantially as set forth.

6. In a threshing-machine, the combination of a separator-chamber provided with a grainoutlet at the bottom thereof, hoods at the bottom of said separator-chamber protecting said outlet, and a funnel centrally positioned at the,

lower side of said chamber, substantially as set forth.

7. In a threshing-machine, the combination of a separator-chamber provided with a grainoutlet at its bottom, means for conducting threshed material to said separator-chamber under air-blast, an inverted funnel centrally located at the bottom of saidseparator-chamher, a drum beneath said separator-chamber, and a cone in said drum beneath said funnel, substantially as set forth.

8. In a threshing-machine, the combination of adelivery grain-receiving chamber having a hopper-neck, means for conducting grain to said chamber, a suction-pipe in proximity to said chamber and a gage-tube adjustabl y fitted to said suction-pipe positioned in said chamber and extending into said hopper-neck. substantially as set forth.

9. In a threshing-machine, the combination of a delivery grain-receiving chamber having a hopper-neck, means for conducting grain to said chamber, a gage-tube adjustably positioned in said chamber and extending into said hopper-neck, and deflector-wings projecting from the lower end of said gage-tube, substantially as set forth.

10. In a threshing-machine, the combination of a delivery grain-receiving chamber provided with a hopper-neck having an outlet, a case surrounding said hopper-neck, and provided with air-inlets, and means for creating a suction within said grain-receiving chamber, substantially as set forth.

11. Inathreshing-machine,the combination .of a delivery grain-receiver, a gage-tube adjustably positioned in said receiver, and a regulating-hood on said gage-tube within said receiver. substantially as set forth.

12. In athreshing-machine,the combination of a delivery grain-receiving chamber havinga hopper-neck, a gage-tube positioned in said chamber, and a regulating-hood adjustably fitted to said gage-tube and located in said chamber, substantially as set forth.

13. In a th reshing-machine, the combination of a delivery grain-receiving chamber, a suction pipe leading from said chamber, and means for creating a suction in said pipe to withdraw the lighter material from the grain while it is passing through said chamber, substantially as set forth.

1 1. In athreshing-machine,the combination of a delivery grain-receiving chamber, a suction-pipe leading from said chamber, means for creating a suction in said pipe, a vacuumchamber interposed in said suction-pipe and means for creating a vacuum in said chamber, substantially as set forth.

15. Inathreshing-machine,thecombination of a delivery grain-receiving chamber, a suction pipe leading from said chamber, means for creating a suction in said pipe, avacuumchamber interposed in said pipe, means for creating a vacuum in said chamber, a spout tion-pipe leading from said chamber, means for creating suction in said pipe, initial and secondary vacuum-chambers interposed in said pipe, and gage-tubes adjustably positioned in said vacuum-chambers, substantially as set forth.

MONROE DAVIS. WESLEY A. LEHENBAUER.

In presence of E. S. KNIGHT, ,NELLIE V. ALEXANDER. 

